"We're very happy he's back," one parishioner shouted to news crews outside of the church.

"I like his simplicity, his piety, his sense of humor and his brains," another said of Boston's archbishop.

The cardinal led some 500 people at the cathedral in the laying of the palms, a Christian ritual commemorating the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem days before his crucifixion.

O'Malley then gave a lengthy homily, asking parishioners to be not just "ashes and palms Catholics," but, as he put it, "frequent flyers."

"Each Sunday, the rewards are out of this world, and we promise you an upgrade," he told the parish.

Speaking with reporters after Mass, Cardinal O'Malley said he's "relieved" to not be serving as pope.

"Delighted to be back in my cathedral, happy that I could use the round-trip ticket," he said.

The cardinal has, of course, been in Rome for the election and transition of Pope Francis. He praised the new pontiff's humility and concern for the poor.

"His passion for the social gospel will hopefully galvanize us to continue, in the many, many ministries that we have, to serve the poor and the suffering," he told NewsCenter 5.

O'Malley's parishioners, meantime, said they're glad to have him back, but perhaps a bit disappointed he didn't return as pope.

"Look at the mess that he cleaned up with the sexual abuse," one parishioner noted, saying she hopes the new pope will take the issue as seriously.

O'Malley, for his part, said he'll be pushing the church to set up a process by which to discipline bishops who participated in or covered up abuse of children.

"For the sake of everyone, you need to have very clear policies -- how you're going to help victims of child abuse, how you're going to address accusations, how you're going to protect the rights of the accused," he said.